It has turned cold in Sylvester, extremely cold that is. Everyone is preparing for a hard freeze and making plans to stay warm.
The National Weather Service predicts a hard freeze and wind chill advisories for a few days as temperatures are expected to plummet in southwest Georgia. Low temps have prompted residents to prepare to battle the elements.
When the weather gets this cold, people begin using space heaters and fireplaces. Capt. Tom Whittington with the Worth County Fire Rescue says most of the new space heaters reset when the element gets a certain temperature to allow it to cool off, but there are still important rules to follow for safety. Keep all space heaters at least three feet away from household combustibles. Use space heaters only as a supplementary source of heat. These devices are not intended to replace the home’s heating system. Do not use extension cords with space heaters unless absolutely necessary and make sure the extension cord has the proper amp to carry the power. Inspect the heater’s cord periodically to look for frayed wire or damaged insulation. Do not use a space heater with a damaged cord.
Check periodically for a secure plug/outlet fit. If the plug becomes very hot, the outlet may need to be replaced by a qualified technician. Heaters should be placed on a flat, level surface. Do not place them on furniture since they may fall and become damaged. Unless the heater is designed for use outdoors or in bathrooms, do not use in damp, wet areas. Look for the UL Mark on your electric heater. This means representative samples of the appliance have met UL’s stringent safety standards.
Fireplaces are always a good source of heat, but Whittington highly recommends you have a guard in front of the fireplace to prevent popping wood from getting out on carpet, floor, etc. Never use wet wood when burning and if the wood will not light, then do not use an accelerant. This will cause a burst of smoke and can cause the fire to get out of control.
Whittington also suggests getting a chimney sweep done before using it at the start of the winter months. This is done to remove soot and debris. In addition to cleaning, a chimney sweep should inspect the chimney structure for cracks, loose bricks or missing mortar. Chimney liners should also be checked for cracking or deterioration. A cap fitted with wire-mesh sides covers the top of the chimney and keeps rain, birds, squirrels and debris from entering. Repair a cap that is damaged or replace one that is missing.
You should wrap outside pipes to prevent them from bursting. Before cold weather arrives, shut off the valves supplying your outside water lines. Individual supply lines running to the outside will usually have a shut off valve on the inside of your home, close to where the supply goes outside. Drain the outside lines by opening the tap and then leave it the open position. This will allow any small amount of water that might be left in the line to freeze and expand without causing any damage.
The major damage from frozen pipes comes when a home is unoccupied during a cold spell and the pipes freeze solid. When the pipes warm up, water flows out of the broken pipes into the walls and down through ceilings creating thousands of dollars of damage. If you’re going to be away from your home for a while, you can prevent this from happening by actually shutting off the water supply to your entire home then opening the taps and draining the water in the pipes.
Check any water pipes that run close to outside walls as well as pipes in unheated crawl spaces or garages where they will get cold. On the pipes inside your home, put some fiberglass insulation between the pipes and the walls to help keep them warm and prevent freezing.
Pipes running through unheated spaces should be covered with insulation. Preformed pipe sleeve insulation shaped to go right around a copper water pipe is an inexpensive option. Put the pieces together and tape them in place.
If you get caught by a sudden cold snap or haven’t had a chance to insulate your pipes a short term solution can be to leave a tap running slowly to prevent them from freezing. It’s wasting water and will definitely add to your water bill, but as a quick fix it’s a better option than having a pipe freeze and crack.
